Thanks all for a wonderful convention! We will put up some more detailed links and reports over the next few days and weeks, but if you’re missing everyone, make sure to join us for pancakes at 5 o’clock Wednesday 27 April.

]]>http://2011.swancon.com.au/2011/04/future-imperfect-art-show-launch/feed/0Not long now!http://2011.swancon.com.au/2011/04/not-long-now/
http://2011.swancon.com.au/2011/04/not-long-now/#commentsSun, 17 Apr 2011 04:56:01 +0000swancon36http://2011.swancon.com.au/?p=1075It was almost thirteen months ago that we launched Swancon Thirty Six | Natcon Fifty, and now we have less than a week to go! Here are a few last minute announcements, reminders and links!

Firstly, we are very sad to announce that Lyn McConchie and Mary Victoria are no longer able to attend due to unforseen events. We were so pleased when they said yes to being invited guests of the convention and they will be missed.

Thursday night is free, and you’ll be able to bring your friends to sample the Swancon experience. The hilariously geeky BRENT! will launch the convention with some end-of-week LOLs, followed by a debate over the assertion that “We are Living in a Computer Simulation”. Then join Eric Ripper, SF fan and Leader of the Opposition, who will be launching the Future Imperfect Art Show. There will also be gaming and various panels, plus the Hyatt bar will be open for business if you just want to catch up with everyone.

Before the convention opens, you are invited to Meet Our Guests over lunch at Mai’s Vietnamese Restaurant East Perth. Places are limited, but there’s still some seats available if you get in quick!

If there’s one thing that fans love most of all, it’s Having Opinions. If that describes you, make sure you get your votes in for the Tin Duck and Ditmar Awards. There will be printed ballots available at the door so you can vote once you arrive. Check the links for eligibility criteria. Then join us for cocktails at the Orbit | Gollancz Natcon Fifty Awards Ceremony, for the presentation of these awards and more!

Saturday night is Masquerade night! Airbrush Tattoos WA are trading in the Dealer Room all weekend. They specialise in full colour and glow in the dark, waterproof airbrush tattoos small and large! They are also available for full costume tattooing – if you want something a little special for the Masquerade or any other program item, you are welcome to book ahead by email to make your appointment.

Lastly: Swancon only survives on the kindness of volunteers. If you have a strong attention to detail and a few hours to spare over the convention weekend we would love to hear from you.

Swancon Thirty Six | Natcon Fifty: it’s quite a mouthful and a lot of history. We’re so glad that we have the opportunity to host the fiftieth Australian Natcon at this year’s Swancon. Perth has hosted nine of them already, and we’re ready to make this one the best so far.

Take a look at our program, and I think you’ll agree it’s pretty awesome! There will be lots to do, see, hear and say. Whether you’re in the mood to listen to presentations from writers, editors, artists and academics; debate ideas with other fans of speculative fiction; network and socialise with guests and members in one of the Hyatt’s many bars and cafes; or just spend time in our fabulous dealers room and fan lounge; there will always be something for you to do.

Remember that Thursday night is free! So bring a friend or two and see what Swancon has to offer.

Swancon Thirty Six | Natcon Fifty is all about fandom, and the fans. We’re holding a party in your honour – all you have to do is show up and have fun. We’ve compiled a short summary of what’s on offer. There will be more announcements as we go, so be sure to keep an eye on our rss feed, or our Twitter feed (@natcon50) for more exciting updates and news throughout the year.

But first, the basics:

21-25 April 2011
Hyatt Hotel, Adelaide Tce, Perth

From the moment you receive your membership card, the kind folks at Planet Books and Fantastic Planet have offered to give you 10% off all the books you buy – valid until 25 April 2011. You really can’t afford not to sign up!

]]>http://2011.swancon.com.au/2011/04/swancon-thirty-six-natcon-fifty-membership/feed/0Swancon Family Programminghttp://2011.swancon.com.au/2011/04/swancon-family-programming/
http://2011.swancon.com.au/2011/04/swancon-family-programming/#commentsMon, 11 Apr 2011 16:19:25 +0000swancon36http://2011.swancon.com.au/?p=1022Are you bringing your children to Swancon? The family program is now online!

Children over 12 will need to purchase their membership and must have a parent or guardian on the premises at all time.

Children under 12 may attend for free, and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times. We’d like them to pre-register so that we can have name-tags waiting for them on arrival (they will need to be wearing a discreetly-labelled name-tag during the con).

Could you please email Fe with the names of your children and a parent/guardian contact mobile number (for someone who will be at the con), for their name-tags. Could you also include their ages and which days they will be attending (this will not appear on their name-tag, but will assist our planning).

Swancon, in the Freshwater Bay room on Sunday the 24th of April, 9:30am.

Agenda:
0A. Last call for nominations for the Board of WASFF
0B. Last call for bids for the WARSFC (i.e. Swancon) for 2013

Meeting opens.

1. Apologies
2. Consideration of Minutes of the previous AGM
3. Matters arising from the previous AGM
4. Reports
Chairman
Treasurer
Administrator
Convention Steering Committee Co-ordinator
SwanCon 35 2010
SwanCon 36 2011
Swancon 37 2012
5. Appointment of Auditor
6. Appointment of a Returning Officer
7. Election of Organising Committee of the Western Australian Science
Fiction Convention (SwanCon 38 2013)
8. Election of Members of the board of WASFF (3 elected positions)
9. Motions on Notice
9.1. That the following regulation be added:
11 Board members
11.1 Candidates for board positions shall disclose to the AGM whether they have any criminal convictions and whether they have been bankrupt.
9.2. That clauses 6.11 – 6.11.3 inclusive of the constitution be repealed as no longer applicable.
9.3. That the following be adopted as regulations: Appointment of and Replacement of Convention Organising Committee Members — see attachment for full wording.
10. General Business

Bids for Swancon 2013 must received by the WASFF chair (me) before the start of the meeting. Guidelines and a bid form are available.

Nominations for the 3 elected positions on the WASFF board must be received by the WASFF chair (me) before the start of the meeting.

]]>http://2011.swancon.com.au/2011/04/wasff-agm/feed/0Paul, the moviehttp://2011.swancon.com.au/2011/04/paul-the-movie/
http://2011.swancon.com.au/2011/04/paul-the-movie/#commentsThu, 07 Apr 2011 13:59:04 +0000swancon36http://2011.swancon.com.au/?p=952This is a very fun movie that comes out before Swancon so it’s something great to do while you’re waiting for the con to start! It opens April 14, 2011. If you were at the comedy fundraiser you may have been one of the lucky ones to get free passes to this. If not, you’ll want to be getting yourself a ticket. Check out the trailer here:

SYNOPSIS
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) reunite for the comedy adventure Paul as two sci-fi geeks whose pilgrimage takes them to America’s UFO heartland. While there, they accidentally meet an alien who brings them on an insane road trip that alters their universe forever.

For the past 60 years, an alien named Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen) has been hanging out at a top-secret military base. For reasons unknown, the space-traveling smart ass decides to escape the compound and hop on the first vehicle out of town—a rented RV containing Earthlings Graeme Willy (Pegg) and Clive Collings (Frost).

Chased by federal agents and the fanatical father of a young woman that they accidentally kidnap, Graeme and Clive hatch a fumbling escape plan to return Paul to his mother ship. And as two nerds struggle to help, one little green man might just take his fellow outcasts from misfits to intergalactic heroes.

The draft Swancon Thirty Six | Natcon Fifty program is now online. While we are making every effort to make sure all details are correct, we cannot guarantee that items won’t change. We also have plenty of space for last minute program ideas, so if the mood strikes and you want to organise something, we’ll help provide you with space to do it.

Contact us any time in the lead-up to the convention, or speak to a committee member once you arrive.